Freight Train

written by Elisabeth COTTEN (1895 - 1987)

version française

This picking tune was composed by Elisabeth Cotten in 1907 when she was only 12 ! But she recorded it only in 1955. Many versions by many people have been issued . Elisabeth Cotten herself played it with variants in the course of the years. I have tabbed 2 versions here :

A version that would be an 'average' of the ways Elsabeth Cotten played it herself

A version more in the manner of Chet Atkins/Marcel Dadi

You can download two mp3 demos recorded by myself here :

1. Version 1 :

2. Version 2 :

This tab is the 'average' version played by Elisabeth Cotten in standard tuning. It is version 1.

Legend :

h : hammering
b : quarter bend up

    C
E+----3-------0---------------------------+----------------------------------------+
B+---- --1----------1---------------------+---3---------1--------------------------+
G+---- -----------------------------------+--- --0-----------0---------------------+
D+---- ----2-----------2------------------+--- -----2------------2-----------------+
A+----3----------3------------------------+---3------------3-----------------------+
E+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+

      G                                        G7
E+---------------------3------------------+----1-----------------------------------+
B+----0-----------------------------------+---- --------------0--------------------+
G+---- --------0--------------------------+---- ------0---------------0------------+
D+---- ----0---------------0--------------+---- ---0--------------0----------------+
A+---- -----------------------------------+---- -----------------------------------+
E+----3------------3----------------------+----3---------3-------------------------+

      G            G7                          C
E+--------3--------1------0---------------+----------------3-----------------------+
B+-------- --0--------------0----3--------+----1-----------------------------------+
G+-------- -------------------------0-----+---- -----0-----------------------------+
D+--------0-----------0-------0--------0--+---- --2-----------2--------------------+
A+----------------------------------------+----3--------3--------------------------+
E+----3---------3---------3---------------+----------------------------------------+

                                               E
E+----0-----------------------------------+-------0--------0-----------------------+
B+---- -----------1-------------------1---+------- --3----- -----3--0--------------+
G+---- -----0-----------0--------0--------+------- -------- -----------------------+
D+---- --2-----------2--------2---------2-+-------2-----2-- --2--------2-----------+
A+----3--------3-----------3--------3-----+---------------- -----------------------+
E+----------------------------------------+----0-----------0-----------------------+

    F                           C             F           G7
E+----------------------------------------+-----0----------------------------------+
B+----1------------1-----3b---------------+----- -----1-----------1-----------0----+
G+---- ------2----- ----------------------+----- -------0-----2---------2----------+
D+---- --3------3-- --3-----3-------------+----- --2------2--- ------3----------3--+
A+---- ------------ ----------------------+-----3------------- --------------------+
E+----1----1-------1----------------------+-------------------1------------3-------+

      C                           E
E+----------------------------------------+-----0---------------0------------------+
B+----1----------1-------------------1----+----- ---------0----- ------3--0--------+
G+----------0----------0-------0----------+----- -----0h1------- ------------------+
D+-------2----------2-------2-----------2-+----- --2--------2--- ----2------2------+
A+----3-------3----------3--------3-------+----- --------------- ------------------+
E+----------------------------------------+-----0---------------0------------------+

      F
E+----------------------------------------+-----0----------------------------------+
B+----1------------1-----3b---------------+-----------1-----------1-----------0----+
G+---- ------2----- ----------------------+-------------0-----2---------2----------+
D+---- --3------3-- --3-----3-------------+--------2------2--- ------3----------3--+
A+---- ------------ ----------------------+-----3------------- --------------------+
E+----1----1-------1----------------------+-------------------1------------3-------+
B+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+

    C
E+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
B+----1----------1-------------------1----+-----1----------------------------------+
G+----------0----------0-------0----------+----- ----------------------------------+
D+-------2----------2-------2-----------2-+----- ----------------------------------+
A+----3-------3----------3--------3-------+-----3----------------------------------+
E+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+

Second version : an arrangement in the manner of Chet Atkins/Marcel Dadi :

In the audio demo it is played with a capo on the second fret.
The frets on the tab here below are counted up from the capo.

Legend :

h : hammering
bu : quarter bend up

The bass strings can be palm muted for a better effect.

      C                                           G7
   ------
1 ||||0|                                     3 0-0--0
   ||0|||                                       |||0||
   |0|||0                                       |0||||
                                                ||||0|
E+-----------3-----0----------------------+---------------3------------------------+
B+-----------|-----|-----3--1-------------+---------------------6------------------+
G+-----------|-----|-----|----------------+----------3h4--------|--------4---------+
D+-----------|--2--|--2--|--------2-------+-------3----------3--|--3--------5------+
A+-----0--2--3-----|-----3----------------+---------------------|------------------+
E+--3--------------3-----------3----------+----3----------------3-----3------------+

           Dm             G                     C
       5 00|||0       1 ||||||              1 ||||0|
         ||||0|         |0||||                ||0|||
         ||00||         0|||0|              |0|||0
         ||||||         ||||||                ||||||

E+---------5-----------0------------------+----------------3-----0-----------------+
B+---------|-----6-----|-----3------------+----1-----------------|-----------------+
G+---------|-----------|--------0---------+----|-----0-----------|--------0--------+
D+---------7--------7--|--0--------0------+----|--2-----------2--|--2--------2-----+
A+------5--------------|------------------+----3-----------------3-----------------+
E+------------5--------3------------------+-------------3--------------3-----------+

              E7                                F
         5 ||||0|                          1 0|||0|
            ||0|||                            |||0||
            |0|0||                            ||0|||
            ||||||                            ||||||

E+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
B+-----------5-----------5--------5-------+-----1----3bu----1-----0----------------+
G+-----------|-----7-----|----------------+-----|-----------|--------2-------------+
D+-----------6--------6--|--6--------6----+-----3--------3--|--3--------3----------+
A+--3-5-6-7--------------7----------------+-----------------|----------------------+
E+--------------0--------------0----------+--1-----1--------1----------------------+

         C              G                        C
     1 ||||0|       1 ||||||                1 ||||0|
       ||0|||         |0||||                   ||0|||
       |0||||         0|||0|                   |0||||

E+------------0--------0------------------+----------------------------------------+
B+---------------------|--3----------0----+----------------------------1-----------+
G+------0--------0-----|--------2---------+----------------------0-----------------+
D+------|--2--------2--|-----0----------0-+-------------------2-----------2--------+
A+------3--------------|------------------+----3--0--------3--------3--------3-----+
E+---------------------3----------3-------+----------3--0--------------------------+

              E7                                F
         5 ||||0|                          1 0|||0|
            ||0|||                            |||0||
            |0|0||                            ||0|||
            ||||||                            ||||||

E+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
B+-----------5-----------5----------0-----+-----1----3bu----1-----1--3-------------+
G+-----------|-----7-----|--7---------(7)-+-----|-----------|----------------------+
D+-----------6--------6--|-----6----------+-----3--------3--|--3-------------------+
A+--3-5-6-7--------------7----------------+-----------------|----------------------+
E+--------------0-----------------0-------+--1-----1--------1----------------------+

              C                  F                Gsus4              C
          1 ||||0|           1 0|||0|          1 ||||0|          1 ||||0|
            ||0|||             |||0||            |0||||            |0||||
            |0||||             ||0|||            0|||||            0|||||
            ||||||             ||||||            ||||||            ||||||

E+----------0-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+
B+----------|-----1---------------1-------+------1--0-------------1----------------+
G+----------|--------0---------2--------2-+------|--|-------------|----------------+
D+----------|--2--------2------|-----3----+------|--|-------------|----------------+
A+----------3------------------|----------+------|--2-------------3-----0--------3-+
E+-----------------------------1----------+------3-------------------------3--0----+
                                                                     |
                                                                     here to OUTRO


             to beginning /to bridge
E+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
B+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
G+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
D+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
A+-----0--2-------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
E+--3-------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+

BRIDGE :
       C
1 ||||0|
    ||0|||
    |0|||0
    ||||||

E+---3--------3-------3-------------------+---3--------3--1-------0----------------+
B+---|--1-------1-----|--------1----------+---|--1----------------|---------1------+
G+---|----------------|-----0-------------+---|-------------------|------0---------+
D+---|-----2------2---|--2--------2-------+---|-----2--------2----|---2--------2---+
A+---3----------------3-------------------+---3-------------------3----------------+
E+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+

       E                  E7                      F
1 |||0||                                  1 0|||0|
    |00|||                                     |||0||
    ||||||                                     ||0|||
    ||||||                                     ||||||

E+---0----------------0-------------------+----------------------------------------+
B+---|---------0------|-----3--0----------+-----1--------------1--------3----------+
G+---|-----0h1--------|-------------------+-----|--------2-----|-------------------+
D+---|--2---------2---|--2--------2-------+-----|--3--------3--|--3--------3-------+
A+---|----------------|-------------------+-----|--------------|-------------------+
E+---0----------------0-------------------+-----1-----1--------1-----1-------------+

     C                  F         G7          C
1 ||||0|         1 0|||0|   1||||||
    ||0|||            |||0||    |0||||
    |0|||0            ||0|||    0|0|||
                                                                    to beginning
E+---0------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
B+---|-----1-----------1-----------0------+---1-----------1-----1------------------+
G+---|--------0-----2--------2------------+---|-----0-----------|------------------+
D+---|--2--------2--|-----3-----------3---+---|--2-----------2--|------0--2--------+
A+---3--------------|---------------------+---3--------3--------3---3--------------+
E+------------------1-----------3---------+----------------------------------------+

OUTRO      C      G       C G C
E+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------------+
B+------------------0-----1--0--1---------+----------------------------------------+
G+------------0-----------|--|--|---------+----------------------------------------+
D+---------2-----------0--|--|--|---------+----------------------------------------+
A+------------------------3--|--3---------+----------------------------------------+
E+---------------3-----------3------------+----------------------------------------+

Tabbed by myself . All suggestions welcome here.

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